Friedrich Rückert (16 May 1788 – 31 January 1866) was a German

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

translator Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

, and professor of

Oriental languages A wide variety of languages are spoken throughout Asia, comprising different language families and some unrelated isolates. The major language families include Austroasiatic, Austronesian, Caucasian, Dravidian, Indo-European, Afroasiatic, Turk ...

Biography

Rückert was born in

Schweinfurt Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban agg ...

and was the eldest son of a lawyer. He was educated at the local '' Gymnasium'' and at the universities of

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

and

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

. From 1816 to 1817, he worked on the editorial staff of the ''Morgenblatt'' at

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

. Nearly the whole of the year 1818 he spent in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, and afterwards he lived for several years at

Coburg Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it was ...

(1820–1826). Rückert married Luise Wiethaus-Fischer there in 1821. He was appointed a professor of Oriental languages at the

University of Erlangen A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

in 1826, and, in 1841, he was called to a similar position in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, where he was also made a privy councillor. In 1849 he resigned his professorship at Berlin, and went to live full-time in his ''Gut'' (estate) at Neuses (now a part of Coburg). When Rückert began his literary career, Germany was engaged in her life-and-death struggle with

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

; and in his first volume, ''Deutsche Gedichte'' (''German Poems''), published in 1814 under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Freimund Raimar, he gave, particularly in the powerful ''Geharnischte Sonette'' (''Sonnets in Arms/Harsh Words''), vigorous expression to the prevailing sentiment of his countrymen. During 1815 to 1818 appeared ''Napoleon, eine politische Komödie in drei Stücken'' (''Napoleon, a Political Comedy in Three Parts'') of which only two parts were published; and in 1817 ''Der Kranz der Zeit'' (''The Wreath of Time''). He issued a collection of poems, ''Östliche Rosen'' (''Eastern Roses''), in 1822; and from 1834 to 1838 his ''Gesammelte Gedichte'' (''Collected Poems'') were published in six volumes, a selection which has passed through many editions. Rückert was master of thirty languages and made his mark chiefly as a translator of Oriental poetry and as a writer of poems conceived in the spirit of Oriental masters. Much attention was attracted by a translation of the ''

Maqama ''Maqāmah'' (مقامة, pl. ''maqāmāt'', مقامات, literally "assemblies") are an (originally) Arabic prosimetric literary genre which alternates the Arabic rhymed prose known as '' Saj‘'' with intervals of poetry in which rhetorical ...

t'' of

Al-Hariri of Basra Abū Muhammad al-Qāsim ibn Alī ibn Muhammad ibn Uthmān al-Harīrī ( ar, أبو محمد القاسم بن علي بن محمد بن عثمان الحريري), popularly known as al-Hariri of Basra (1054 – 10 September 1122) was an Arab po ...

(''Hariris Makamen'') in 1826, ''Nal und Damajanti'', an Indian tale, in 1828, ''Rostem und Suhrab, eine Heldengeschichte'' (''Rostem and Suhrab, a Story of Heroes'') in 1830, and ''Hamasa, oder die ältesten arabischen Volkslieder'' (''Hamasa, or the Oldest Arabian Folk Songs'') in 1846. Among his original writings dealing with Oriental subjects are: *''Morgenländische Sagen und Geschichten'' (''Oriental Myths and Poems'') (1837) *''Erbauliches und Beschauliches aus dem Morgenland'' (''Edifying and Contemplative, from the Orient'') (1836–1838) *''Brahmanische Erzählungen'' (''Brahmin Stories'') (1839). The most elaborate of his works is ''Die Weisheit des Brahmanen'' (''The Wisdom of the

Brahmin Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

s''), published in six volumes from 1836 to 1839. The former and ''Liebesfrühling'' (''Spring of Love'') (1844), a cycle of love-songs, are the best known of all Rückert's productions. From 1843 to 1845 he issued the dramas ''Saul und David'' (1843), ''Herodes der Große'' ("Herod the Great") (1844), ''Kaiser Heinrich IV'' (1845) and ''Christofero Colombo'' (1845), all of which are considered greatly inferior to the work to which he owes his place in German literature. At the time of the Danish war in 1864 he wrote ''Ein Dutzend Kampflieder für Schleswig-Holstein'' (''A Dozen Battle Songs for

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

''), which, although published anonymously, made considerable impression on audiences. Rückert died in 1866 in , now part of

. He is buried in the cemetery there. He continues to exert a strong influence on Oriental studies in Germany (c.f.

Annemarie Schimmel Annemarie Schimmel (7 April 1922 – 26 January 2003) was an influential German Orientalist and scholar who wrote extensively on Islam, especially Sufism. She was a professor at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992. Early life and education ...

). Rückert's poetry was a powerful inspiration to composers and there are about 121 settings of his work – behind only

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

, Heine and Rilke in this respect. Among the composers who set his poetry to music are

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

and

Clara Schumann Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...

(

Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91, were composed by Johannes Brahms for his friends Joseph Joachim and his wife Amalie. The full title is ''Zwei Gesänge für eine Altstimme mit Bratsche und Klavier'' (Two songs for an alto voic ...

, among others),

Josef Rheinberger Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was a Liechtensteiner organist and composer, residing in Bavaria for most of his life. Life Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liecht ...

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

(

song cycles A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rare ...

Kindertotenlieder (''Songs on the Death of Children'') is a song cycle (1904) for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler. The words of the songs are poems by Friedrich Rückert. Text and music The original were a group of 428 poems written by Rückert in 1833� ...

'', ''

Rückert-Lieder ' (Songs after Rückert) is a collection of five Lieder for voice and orchestra or piano by Gustav Mahler, based on poems written by Friedrich Rückert. The songs were first published in ''Sieben Lieder aus letzter Zeit'' (''Seven Songs of Latter ...

''),

Max Bruch Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a prominent staple of the standard ...

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

Zemlinsky Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conducting, conductor, and teacher. Biography Early life Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfath ...

Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

, Bartók,

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) *Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer) (born 1989), Brazilian footballer Former states * Berg (state), county and duchy of the Hol ...

Hugo Wolf Hugo Philipp Jacob Wolf (13 March 1860 – 22 February 1903) was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or Lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Ro ...

, Heinrich Kaspar Schmid, and

Jah Wobble John Joseph Wardle (born 11 August 1958), known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; ...

Memorials

A monument to Rückert is situated at Marktplatz in

. The monument of Rückert, whose birth house stands at the southeast corner of the town hall, has stood in the central square of Schweinfurt since 1890. It was created by architect Friedrich Ritter von Thiersch and sculptor Wilhelm von Rühmann. Allegorical figures from his works – ''Geharnischte Sonette'' ("Withering Sonnets") and ''Weisheit des Brahmanen'' ("Wisdom of the Brahmans") – are situated at the feet of the bronze Rückert. Rückert is also commemorated by a small museum in his home at Neuses (now in Friedrich-Rückert-Strasse) and a park, ''Rückertpark'' which also features a memorial bust. The museum in the Friedrich-Rückert-Straße houses over 1,000 dolls, including the grandmother of the world-famous "

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by American toy company Mattel, Inc. and launched on March 9, 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. ...

Literature

A comprehensive but by no means complete edition of Rückert's poetical works appeared in 12 volumes in 1868–1869. Subsequent editions have been edited by L. Laistner (1896), C. Beyer (1896), G. Ellinger (1897). See B. Fortlage, ''F. Rückert und seine Werke'' (1867); C. Beyer, ''Friedrich Rückert, ein biographisches Denkmal'' (1868), ''Neue Mitteilungen über Rückert'' (1873), and ''Nachgelassene Gedichte Rückerts und neue Beiträge zu dessen Leben und Schriften'' (1877); R. Boxberger, ''Rückert-Studien'' (1878); P. de Lagarde, ''Erinnerungen an F. Rückert'' (1886); F. Muncker, ''Friedrich Rückert'' (1890); G. Voigt, ''Rückerts Gedankenlyrik'' (1891). *

Hans Wollschläger 150px, Signature, 1988 Hans Wollschläger (17 March 1935, in Minden – 19 May 2007, in Bamberg) was a German writer, translator, historian, and editor of German literature. Biography Wollschläger is widely known as the translator of '' Ulysse ...

und Rudolf Kreutner (Ed.): ''Historisch-kritische Ausgabe in Einzelbänden'', Schweinfurt 1998ff.; thus far 4 vols. in 5 parts (as of July 2004): ** ''Die Weisheit des Brahmanen'', 2 vols., 1998. ** ''Gedichte von Rom'', 2000. ** ''Liedertagebuch I/II, 1846–1847'', 2001 ** ''Liedertagebuch III/IV, 1848–1849'', 2002. ** ''Liedertagebuch V/VI, 1850–1851'', Erster Band, 2003. * Hans Wollschläger (Ed.): ''Kindertotenlieder''

993 also as ''insel taschenbuch'' 1545 Year 993 ( CMXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The 12-year-old King Otto III gives the Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damia ...

* Hartmut Bobzin (Ed.): ''Der Koran in der Übersetzung von Friedrich Rückert'', 4th ed., Würzburg 2001. * Friedrich Rückert: Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage I–XIII. Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. 1890. Nachdruck: epubli GmbH, Berlin, 2010 * Friedrich Rückert: ''Firdosi's Königsbuch (Schahname) Sage XX–XXVI.'' Aus dem Nachlaß herausgegeben von E. A. Bayer. Nachdruck der Erstausgabe. epubli Berlin, 2010,
(Details)
* Wolfgang von Keitz (Hrsg.): Oestliche Rosen. epubli, Berlin 2012,
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In 1847, Rückert also translated select verses of the

Tirukkural The ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'' ( ta, திருக்குறள், lit=sacred verses), or shortly the ''Kural'' ( ta, குறள்), is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 short couplets, or Kural (poetic form), kurals, of seven ...

, an ancient

Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nativ ...

classic, into German.

Notes

References

* * *

External links

* * *
List of song settings
*
Flyer on Rückert published by the town of Coburg (German)

Friedrich Rückert Obituary

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

Monthly (1866) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruckert, Friedrich 1788 births 1866 deaths 19th-century German poets German orientalists People from Schweinfurt University of Würzburg alumni Heidelberg University alumni University of Erlangen-Nuremberg faculty Humboldt University of Berlin faculty Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Translators of the Quran into German German male poets 19th-century German male writers Tamil–German translators Translators of the Tirukkural into German German male non-fiction writers 19th-century translators Tirukkural translators Artists from Coburg Morgenblatt für gebildete Stände editors